• The executive departments are described in Article II Section 2 that says that the president of the U.S. Constitution "... may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of

their respective offices. ... " “, although the Departments are included in the constitution, but the Presidential Cabinet is not described.

Then how did we get the Cabinet?Through tradition! President Washington began the practice. The word cabinet stems from Italian cabinet to, which means a small private room.

• Department of State (1789) $35.1 billion– Originally called Department of Foreign Affairs

• Only lasted month before Washington and Congress changed it to State• Thomas Jefferson was the first Secretary of State under Washington,

although John Jay (Federalists & Supreme Court Chief Justice) had been serving as interim Secretary of State during the Articles of Confederation to Constitution transition.

• Responsibilities– Foreign policy– Treaties– Agreements with foreign countries– Represents Americans abroad– Assiting Americans abroad– Assisting American businesses abroad– Keeping public informed about U.S. relations with other countries

Dept of State Organizations•Counterterrorism

•Intelligence offices

•Office for each continent or region of the world, including smaller offices for each country.

•State Dept office of legislative affairs

• Department of Treasury (1789)– Alexander Hamilton was the first Secretary of Treasury

• Kind of bullied Congress• Not Washington’s first choice

• Responsibilities– Executive branch budget and accounting

• Accountant for the Executive

– Produce coins and bills• U.S. Mint

– Stamps– Collects taxes

• IRS

– Borrows money• Bonds, CDs

– ATF, part Justice, Homeland Security, & Treasury

Jack Lew

• Department of War (Defense 1947) (1789)– Dept of Navy, Army, Air Force– NSA- National Security Agency– DIA- Defence Intelligence Agency

• Responsibilities– Provides Military forces to deter war and protect national security

• Joint Chiefs of Staff• Chief of Staffs

– Army– Navy– Air Force– Marines

• Regional Offices– COCOM,NORTHCOM, CENTCOM, EUCOM, PACOM

Chuck Hagel

A Billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into perspective in one of its releases.

A Billion Seconds ago -- it was 1973.

A Billion Minutes ago -- Jesus was alive.

A Billion Hours ago -- our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

A Billion Days ago -- No-One walked on two feet on earth.

A Billion Dollars ago -- was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government spends it.

• Department of Justice (1870)– Attorney General (1789)

• Responsibilities– Prosecute those accused of violating federal law– Legal advice for President– Enforce immigration laws

• Information about immigration• Naturalization

– Operates Federal Prisons– Maintains halfway houses– Represents U.S. in court

• Solicitor General• Supreme Court too

• $43.5 Billion budget

Eric Holder

• Department of Interior 1849– $10.7 Billion– Ken Salazar

• Responsibilities– Manages public lands, wildlife, and national parks– Operates hydro-electric plants– Helps manage Native American Affairs– National Park Services– U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services

• Fishing licenses, hunting licenses etc.

– Plagued by scandal all throughout history• Teapot Dome Scandel• Gale Norton & Jack Abromoff

• Department of Agriculture 1889– $95 billion

• Responsibilities– Inspects food– Assist farmers and ranchers– Administers food stamps and school lunch programs– Assist in efforts to supply nation’s poor with food– USDA works with FDA– Nutrition labels– Certifies organic foods– Regulates Trade and marketing of food

Tom Vilsack

• Department of Commerce 1903– $8 billion

• "promote job creation and improved living standards for all Americans by creating an infrastructure that promotes economic growth, technological competitiveness, and sustainable development.”

• Responsibilities– Conduct census– Grants, patents, register trademarks– Promotes trade, economic growth and tech

development – Sets standards in weights and measurements

Rebecca Blank

• Department of Labor 1913– $59.7 billion– Was part of commerce from 1903-1913

• Responsibilities– Enforce federal laws on minimum wage, maximum

hours, and safe working conditions– Operates job training programs– Administers unemployment compensation and

insurance– Occupational Safety and Health Administration– Works with Homeland Security on ICE raids

Seth Harris

• Department of Health and Human Services– 1953

– Discretionary: $67.2 billion (2006)– Mandatory: $573.5 billion (2006)– Was Department of Health, Education, and Welfare– 1980 Carter split the three, Dept or Ed, Dept of HH, and Welfare became an

executive agency.

• Responsibilities– Funds healthcare programs– Conducts programs to prevent and control disease– Administers Medicaid and Medicare– FDA– Center for Disease Control and Prevention– OIG

• Monitor, investigate, and prosecute Medicaid and Medicaid fraud etc.

– Making your peanut butter safe…Kathleen Sebelius

• Department of Housing and Urban Development– 1965 - LBJ– $28.5 billion– FHA- Federal Housing Administration

• Responsibilities– Operates home-financing and public housing programs– Enforces fair housing laws– Office of Housing– HUD– Section 8

– American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Shaun Donovan

• Department of Transportation (DOT)– 1967

• Advent of multicar households• Largescale commercialization of flight

– Jet engine

– $58 Billion

• Responsibilities– Administers programs to promote and regulate highways, mass transit,

railroads, waterways, air travel, and oil and gas pipelines.– Federal Highway Administration

• Money for highways• Regulations for highways ,streets, etc

– Federal Aviation Administration• Funds for airports• Regulates airspace

– TSA and Coast Guard moved to Homeland Security with reorganization due to 9/11

Ray LaHood

• Department of Energy– 1977

• Responsibilities– Promotes production of renewable energy, fossil fuels, and nuclear

energy– Conducts nuclear weapons research and clean up – Transmits and sells hydroelectric power – Regulates energy star qualifications

• Refrigorators, washers and dryers,

– Environmental policy• Greenhouse gases/emissions• CO2 footprints

– Carbon Offsets

– Alternative and new sources of energy researcy and funding• Grants

– Solar powered research etc

• Department of education– 1979

– Discretionary: $56.0 billion (2006)– Mandatory: $13.4 billion (2006)– Carter -part of Health, Welfare, and Education split– Reagon tried to abolish cabinet position immedietly but unsuccessful

because of dem majority in Congress.

• Responsibilities– Administers federal education aid– Conducts educational research– Office of Education – FASFA

• Registration for financial aid

– No Child Left Behind

Arne Duncan

• Department of Veteran Affairs– 1988– $87.6 billion (2009)– Result of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam Vets needed

support

• Responsibilities– Administers benefits, pensions, and medical programs

for veterans– Oversees military cemeteries– Funds and supports American Legions, Veteran of

Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans

Eric Ken Shinseki

• Department of Homeland Security– 2002

– $52.0 billion (2009)– 200,000 employees, DHS is the third largest Cabinet

department, after the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs

– Works closely with Defense, Justice, Energy, & Health and Human Services (CDC)

• Responsibilities– Border and transportation safety– Emergency preparedness– Chemical, biological, nuclear defense– Integrates all types of security groups

Janet Napolitano